Valve-lock for automobiles and the like



I. E. KOEBEL.

VALVE LOCKFOR AUTOMOBILES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICA-[ION FILED APR. I4, I9I9. I I 1,348,364, Patented Aug. 3,1920.

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i472 @LS UNITED STATES JOHN F. KOEBFL, oF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

VALVE-LOCK FOR AUTOMOBILES AND THE LIKE.

Application filed April 14. 1919.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN F. KOEBEL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Valve-Locks for Automobiles andthe like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to devices for preventing thetheft of' automobiles. the same belonging to the class comprising acut-off valve located in the fuel-feed pipe of the carbureter and asuitable lock for said valve under the control of the owner of the caror other authorized person. The locking device vis however equallyapplicable to the corresponding valve of a motor boat, aswell as variousother valves liable to be tampered with by unauthorized persons.

Ther Vobiect of my invention is the provision of a strong and reliablevalve-lock of this character which is simple, light and compact inconstruction and which can be produced at comparatively small cost.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of the lock applied to the feed pipe of acarbureter. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the parts. Fig. 3 is anenlarged vertical section of the, lock on line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is ahorizontal section on line 4 4, Fig. 3, showing the valve unlocked andopen. Fig. 5 is a similar section showing the valve locked in its closedposition.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views.

10 indicates the fioat-chamber of an ordinary carbureter and 11 theusual fuel feed pipe leading thereto. This pipe contains a cut-off valve12 of any suitable construction for shutting oli' the supply of fuel tothe carbureter when the automobile is parked or left where it is liableto be stolen. In the preferred construction shown, the valve has theconventional rotary plug 13 terminating in a square or flat-sided stem14. The valve-case has integral branches 15, one of which has a union 16for coupling it to said feed pipe 11, while the other is connected withthe float chamber by an elbow 16", or other suitable connection.

A strong metallic box or housing 17 of rectangular or other suitableform incloses the valve 12 and the lock hereinafter described.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. '3, 1920.

serial No. 289,942.

plug is an operating lever 20 for opening y and closing it, the-leverhaving a corresponding opening 21 for receiving said stem. The leverextends through a horizontal slot 22 formed partly in the cover of thehousing and partly in'one of its side walls. This slot is of the properlength to permit the lever to be turned from the closed position of thevalve shown in Figs. l, 2 and 5 tothe open position shown in Figs. 3 and4, the ends of the slot forming stops for the lever which predeterminethe open and closed positions of the valve. In addition to the opening21, the lever is provided in its inner portion with a locking loop oraperture 23 l adapted to receive the bolt 24 of a lock 25 having theusual guide 25 for the bolt, the preferred lock shown in the drawingsbeing of the well-known cylinder type operated by a flat key, althoughany other appropriate lock may be used, if desired. As shown, thecylindrical portion of the lock extends through an opening 26 in thecover. The locking aperture 23 of the lever is preferably in the form ofa transverse slot or loop of the proper dimensions to fit thelocking-bolt as closely as practicable, the slot being arranged toregister with the bolt when the lever is turned at right angles'to thefeed pipe 11 to close the valve, and said bolt being movable parallelwith the axis of the valve.

To lock the valve, the lever is turned to the position just mentioned,after which the bolt is projected into the loop of the lever by the useof a proper key. Under these conditions, unauthorized persons will findit impossible to turn on the gasolene-supply and operate the car. Uponunlocking the lever by the withdrawal of the lock-bolt, the lever can befreely turned to open the valve and admit fuel to the carbureter.

By providing the lever with such a locking oop or aperture, a verystrong connection'is obtained between the lever and the bolt of the lockon account of the large contact surface between the parts. It will beobserved that if it be attempted to turn the locked lever out `oi`-`thatposition, its loop will bear against the bolt at diagonally oppositepoints, and as the 4loop is closed on all sides it possesses thenecessary strength to withstand such strains.:

As the valve-stem, as well as the valve, is wholly within the box, it isinaccessible and cannot be operated, except by the lever when unlocked.The several parts, including the lock, are Iall inclosed in a singleboxor housing, and as this unitary box is located under the automobilehood adjacent to the carbureter, 1t 1s exceedingly diflicult forunauthorized persons to tamper with the look wit-hout attractingattention `and running great risk of detection.

As the rectangular base-portion 25 of the cylinder-lock is relativelythin or shallow, the upper' part of the box may be made shal- Alowerthan the lower part containing vthe valve, as shown. This reduces 'theweight of the vdevice and renders it ymore compact. l lAside `from'beingstrong and reliable, this loek has the advantages of lightness,`simplicity of 'construction and 4low cost.

he construction shown yhas the further advantage that it does notrequire a special valve but permits the vuse of a standard orstock-valve which can be readily renewed when worn out without requiringreplacement of the entire device.

I claim as my invention:

l. The combination of a housing, a valvecase separate from saidhousing., a valve in said caseV having a stem, an operating lever forVsaid stem arranged adjacent to said valve and extending through the wallol said housing, and a lock having a locking bolt movable parallel withthe axis of said valve to engage said lever, said valve and said lockbeing both-located within said housing.

2. The combination of a valve-case having oppositely-extending branches,a unitary housing inclosing said valve-case and having openings in itswalls for the passage of said branches, a valve in said case having astem, kan operating lever applied to said stem and extending through thewall ot Vsaid "housing, and a lock arranged above said valve and vhavinga locking bolt movable 'parallel withthe axis of said valve'to engagesaid lever, said valve, said lock and the part of said valve-stembetween the valve and vthe lock being located Wholly within said casing.

JOHN F. KOEBEL.

